The square academic cap, or mortarboard, is an item of academic dress that includes a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, typically with a tassel attached to the center. It is commonly referred to informally, in conjunction with an academic gown worn by a graduate, as a graduation cap and gown. The graduation cap, together with the gown, and sometimes a hood, are a customary uniform of a graduate at various levels of academia, including for pre-elementary, elementary, primary, high school and university graduations.
The overall structure of the graduation cap has remained unmodified for generations. In various societies around the world, it is tradition to decorate an individual's cap prior to the ceremony, creating a unique personalized attire. However, the common graduation cap does not easily permit awards or other embellishments to be displayed or attached on the board, without modifying or damaging the original accessory.
There is a continuing need for a graduation cap having interchangeable decorations or embellishments. Desirably, the graduation cap permits an individual to showcase achievements and successes at a graduation ceremony, and can also be displayed at later celebrations with the same decorations or embellishments.